This was the last day in Iowa, but it was a good one. First stop was the National Motorcycle Museum. This was one of the main reasons they chose this destination and they were not disappointed. Now Steve has been to the Harley museum in Milwaukee, but there aren't too many Harley riders I know that have always been exclusive to the brand. Even I started on a Kawasaki and was kicked off a Yamaha on my maiden voyage as a driver. The point is most motorcycle riders have a diverse brand background. Therefore a museum that covers all brands is a very appealing place to a rider that wants to take a walk through motorcycle history. This ended up being a walk down memory lane for both of the guys.
Here we have Rodney by a '72 Yamaha 350. (All you moms out there may want to skip this next part.) When he was 16, he rode one just like this that was purple and white along with his friend Bo (who was on a Honda 350 Scrambler) from Vicksburg, MS to Panama City, FL. (My son is 14 *shudder*)
Now Steve is standing by his original Ironman. This is a Honda Trail 70. It's the same color and everything as the one Steve started riding when he was 11. Another frightening thought for moms out there I know. At least he was mostly under adult supervision. There were plenty more bikes to see and they got many pictures, but we don't want to spoil the fun for any of the rest of you out there who want to visit and find your own memories. After leaving the museum, they enjoyed another piece of history. They stayed outside this one though.
It was the Iowa State Peniteniary in Anamosa.
This facility was built in 1880 with other parts being added through the years. Interesting that you don't see any razor wire even though the prison is still in use. I'm proud to say that both guys managed to get away without being detained, but I also know that they both have fast bikes too. It was time to move on at this point, so good bye to Iowa until another time. Our adventurers started heading south. They were riding into a headwind for most of the day which any rider knows can be exhausting as well as hard on your mileage. Also along the way, a truck decided to share part of his load with the road and it hit and cracked Rodney's new fairing. I've got a few names for morons like that who can't keep their loads to themselves, but I like to keep this a family friendly blog. They managed 303 miles though before safely parking in Champaign, IL for the night. Tomorrow could be interesting depending on what the weather decides to do. Stay tuned.
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